Return to the 36th Chamber
Encyclopedia
Return To The 36th Chamber (少林搭棚大師, Shao Lin ta peng hsiao tzu, Return of the Master Killer or Master Killer II) is a 1980 Shaw Brothers Studio
Hong Kong martial arts
comedy film
starring Gordon Liu
. It is directed by Lau Kar-Leung
and written by Ni Kuang. The film is the second in a loosely connected trilogy, following The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin
(1978) and preceding Disciples Of The 36th Chamber
(1985). In the first and third films in the series, Liu portrayed the Shaolin monk San Te
, but in Return, he portrays an imposter monk.
overseers to improve the work. However, Wang has decided to cut the workers' salary to pay the mercenaries, and when the workers protest they are viciously thrashed.
When sitting in a tea house discussing their problems, the workers are joined by Chu Jen-chieh, a good-hearted small-time con man
and the foreman's younger brother who is posing as a monk. He offers to help, but since he cannot actually do kung fu, he and the foreman's assistant, Ah Chao, devise a plan to trick the Manchu into reinstating the full salary pay, with Jen-chieh posing as the Shaolin's head abbot, San Te.
At first the scheme works, but Wang quickly works out that this man is an impostor, and has him driven away and his Manchu hirelings retaliate against the workers. Feeling guilty about what has happened, Jen-chieh leaves and heads for the Shaolin temple. His first attempts to enter by stealth are thwarted by the vigilant monks and his own bumbling, but eventually he manages to sneak his way in, just to run into the Abbot San Te himself. He, too, realizes that Jen-chieh is not what he claims to be, but he announces that he wants to give him a chance: Jen-chieh is to build a set of gantries all around the temple and renovate the entire complex.
Somewhat reluctantly, Jen-chieh goes to work, but he is constantly distracted by the monks practicing martial arts in the training courtyard, which he can look into from his high vantage point. Eventually, he begins to train in kung fu by himself, using the conditions of his assignment to improvise training facilities. However, this causes him to lag behind in his work, and it takes him more than a year to finish the gantry. As soon as Jen-chieh announces that he is finished, the abbot wants him to dismantle the structure and leave the monastery. Rebelling against this decision, Jen-chieh lands in the training courtyard and while trying to evade the abbot chasing him, he inadvertently manages to pass all hazards set in the yard with ease. The abbot finally corners him and forces him to leave, but with a strange smile playing around his lips.
Jen-chieh returns to town to find that the conditions of the workers have worsened. Their salary has been cut by nearly half, and any who have protested had been laid off immediately. When some of the ex-workers attack him, not believing that he has not learned kung fu in Shaolin, Jen-chieh instinctively and to his own surprise fights them off with his newly acquired kung fu skills. The next morning, Jen-chieh appears at the dye mill and thrashes the overseers, using bamboo
fibers (like he used when building the gantry) to tie them up and incapacitate them and introducing his style as "scaffolding kung fu".
Quickly, Wang and his bodyguards appear at the scene. Jen-chieh lures them out of the city to a mansion under construction, where he uses the building equipment and the tight quarters to his advantage. Finally overpowering the Wang, he forces him to pay his workers their full wages again. Reluctantly Wang admits defeat, and Jen-chieh continues his training on the half-finished grounds.
Shaw Brothers Studio
The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution...
Hong Kong martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Gordon Liu
Gordon Liu
Gordon Liu is a Chinese martial arts film actor. He became famous for playing the lead in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and its sequels...
. It is directed by Lau Kar-Leung
Lau Kar-leung
Lau Kar-Leung is a famous Hong Kong martial arts filmmaker, choreographer, and actor.Lau Kar-Leung is best known for his movies which he made during the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio...
and written by Ni Kuang. The film is the second in a loosely connected trilogy, following The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin , also known as The Master Killer and Shaolin Master Killer, is a 1978 Shaw Brothers kung fu film directed by Liu Chia-liang and starring Gordon Liu....
(1978) and preceding Disciples Of The 36th Chamber
Disciples of the 36th Chamber
Disciples Of The 36th Chamber is a 1985 Shaw Brothers Studio Hong Kong martial arts film comedy written, directed and choreographed Lau Kar-leung...
(1985). In the first and third films in the series, Liu portrayed the Shaolin monk San Te
San Te
The San Te or San-De monk was a legendary Shaolin martial arts disciple who trained under the general Zhi Shan. His given name was not San-De, it was said to be Liu Yude. The title San-De means "Three Harmonies" or "Three Virtues"...
, but in Return, he portrays an imposter monk.
Plot
The story opens at a fabric dyeing mill. The quality of the dyes has noticeably worsened, and the factory owner, Wang, and his subordinate chief, Boss Wa, have decided to hire some ManchuManchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
overseers to improve the work. However, Wang has decided to cut the workers' salary to pay the mercenaries, and when the workers protest they are viciously thrashed.
When sitting in a tea house discussing their problems, the workers are joined by Chu Jen-chieh, a good-hearted small-time con man
Confidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
and the foreman's younger brother who is posing as a monk. He offers to help, but since he cannot actually do kung fu, he and the foreman's assistant, Ah Chao, devise a plan to trick the Manchu into reinstating the full salary pay, with Jen-chieh posing as the Shaolin's head abbot, San Te.
At first the scheme works, but Wang quickly works out that this man is an impostor, and has him driven away and his Manchu hirelings retaliate against the workers. Feeling guilty about what has happened, Jen-chieh leaves and heads for the Shaolin temple. His first attempts to enter by stealth are thwarted by the vigilant monks and his own bumbling, but eventually he manages to sneak his way in, just to run into the Abbot San Te himself. He, too, realizes that Jen-chieh is not what he claims to be, but he announces that he wants to give him a chance: Jen-chieh is to build a set of gantries all around the temple and renovate the entire complex.
Somewhat reluctantly, Jen-chieh goes to work, but he is constantly distracted by the monks practicing martial arts in the training courtyard, which he can look into from his high vantage point. Eventually, he begins to train in kung fu by himself, using the conditions of his assignment to improvise training facilities. However, this causes him to lag behind in his work, and it takes him more than a year to finish the gantry. As soon as Jen-chieh announces that he is finished, the abbot wants him to dismantle the structure and leave the monastery. Rebelling against this decision, Jen-chieh lands in the training courtyard and while trying to evade the abbot chasing him, he inadvertently manages to pass all hazards set in the yard with ease. The abbot finally corners him and forces him to leave, but with a strange smile playing around his lips.
Jen-chieh returns to town to find that the conditions of the workers have worsened. Their salary has been cut by nearly half, and any who have protested had been laid off immediately. When some of the ex-workers attack him, not believing that he has not learned kung fu in Shaolin, Jen-chieh instinctively and to his own surprise fights them off with his newly acquired kung fu skills. The next morning, Jen-chieh appears at the dye mill and thrashes the overseers, using bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
fibers (like he used when building the gantry) to tie them up and incapacitate them and introducing his style as "scaffolding kung fu".
Quickly, Wang and his bodyguards appear at the scene. Jen-chieh lures them out of the city to a mansion under construction, where he uses the building equipment and the tight quarters to his advantage. Finally overpowering the Wang, he forces him to pay his workers their full wages again. Reluctantly Wang admits defeat, and Jen-chieh continues his training on the half-finished grounds.
Cast
- Gordon LiuGordon LiuGordon Liu is a Chinese martial arts film actor. He became famous for playing the lead in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and its sequels...
as Chu Jen-chieh - Kara HuiKara HuiKara Hui Ying-Hung is a Hong Kong actress of Manchu ancestry.-Biography and career:Hui's family moved to Hong Kong in 1966 and she started working at night clubs at fourteen. In her interview on Be My Guest, Hui revealed her family lost their savings from her father's business acquaintances...
as Hsiao Hung - Hsiao HoHsiao Ho (actor)Hsiao Ho, is a Hong Kong martial arts film actor, stunt performer and action choreographer. He has acted in many films directed by Lau Kar-leung, including Mad Monkey Kung Fu and Legendary Weapons of China...
as Ah Chao - Wong Ching-ho as Uncle Li
- Wa Lun as Chou Sheng
- Lee King-chue as Abbot San Te
- Chan Si-gaai as Ah Fen
- Kwan Yung-moon as Chuan Min
- Yeung Jing-jing as Hsiao Ting
- Johnny Wang Lung-wei as Huang Kao-feng
- Kong Do as Chief Ma
- Chang Yi-tao as Yuen Li-hou